How severe is CVE-2018-4990?

CVE-2018-4990 has a CVSS score of 8.8/10, rated HIGH. Immediate patching is strongly recommended.

Which products are affected by CVE-2018-4990?

Affected package information for CVE-2018-4990 is not yet fully mapped. Check the official advisory links for details.

How do I patch CVE-2018-4990?

No patch has shipped for CVE-2018-4990 yet — track the adobe acrobat dc advisory for a fixed release and apply the workarounds below in the meantime.

How do I detect CVE-2018-4990 across my infrastructure?

Inventory every adobe acrobat dc deployment and check each version against the affected-products list above. Because the exploit targets the running system rather than your application code, also watch for remote code execution at the network and runtime layer — O3 flags the exploit behaviour from runtime telemetry and egress traffic even before a vulnerable build is confirmed.

How do I mitigate CVE-2018-4990 if there is no patch (or I can't update yet)?

Cut exposure now: restrict the management/admin interface to trusted networks, segment the device, and apply the vendor's recommended configuration mitigations and any WAF/IPS signature. O3's runtime protection blocks the exploit chain at execution, holding the line on unpatched or end-of-life systems until you can patch.

How does O3 Security protect against CVE-2018-4990?

O3 detects and blocks CVE-2018-4990 exploitation at runtime: eBPF exploit-chain detection, plus L7 egress monitoring that catches the post-exploitation callback and severs the attacker's outbound channel.

Is CVE-2018-4990 actively exploited in the wild?

Yes. There are 4 known exploit references for CVE-2018-4990, including 3 in-the-wild exploitations observed on GitHub and other sources. Treat this as actively exploitable and prioritize patching immediately. All exploit code should only be run in an isolated sandbox environment for research or authorized testing — never against production systems without explicit written authorization.

What is the EPSS score for CVE-2018-4990?

CVE-2018-4990 has an EPSS (Exploit Prediction Scoring System) score of 36.4%, placing it in the 98th percentile of all CVEs. EPSS is maintained by FIRST.org and estimates the probability that a vulnerability will be exploited in the wild within the next 30 days. This score warrants monitoring and prompt remediation.

Is CVE-2018-4990 in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog?

Yes. CVE-2018-4990 (Adobe Acrobat and Reader Double Free Vulnerability) was added to CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog on 2022-06-08. CISA required all US federal civilian agencies to remediate this vulnerability by 2022-06-22. The required action was: Apply updates per vendor instructions. Being listed in the KEV catalog is the strongest possible confirmation of active exploitation — treat this as a critical priority.

What type of vulnerability is CVE-2018-4990?

CVE-2018-4990 is classified as CWE-415 (CWE-415). This weakness type describe the underlying flaw category, which helps determine the potential impact and the right class of mitigation.

Which products and versions are affected by CVE-2018-4990?

CVE-2018-4990 affects adobe acrobat dc; adobe acrobat reader dc. Check the affected-products list on this page against your deployed version to confirm exposure.

When was CVE-2018-4990 published, and has it been updated?

CVE-2018-4990 was published on July 9, 2018 and was last updated on June 17, 2026. Advisory data evolves as severity scores, affected ranges, and exploit intelligence are revised — always check the latest version of the advisory before acting.

CISA KEV·Added 2022-06-08 — agencies required to remediate by 2022-06-22

CVE-2018-4990

HIGH

Adobe Acrobat and Reader versions 2018.011.20038 and earlier, 2017.011.30079 and earlier, and 2015.006.30417 and earlier have a Double Free vulnerability. Successful exploitation could…

Published

Jul 9, 2018

Updated

Jun 17, 2026

Affected

0 pkgs

Patched

None yet

Exploits

4 known

EPSS Exploitation Probability

via FIRST.org ↗

36.4%probability of exploitation in next 30 days

Moderate Risk98th percentile-4.17%

EPSS (Exploit Prediction Scoring System) is a daily probability model maintained by FIRST.org. It estimates the likelihood a CVE will be exploited in production environments within the next 30 days, derived from real-world threat intelligence signals.

Description

Adobe Acrobat and Reader versions 2018.011.20038 and earlier, 2017.011.30079 and earlier, and 2015.006.30417 and earlier have a Double Free vulnerability. Successful exploitation could lead to arbitrary code execution in the context of the current user.

Affected Products

2 products · 6 configurations

Application

acrobat dcadobe

≥ 17.011.30059 && ≤ 17.011.30079

range

Application

acrobat reader dcadobe

≥ 17.011.30059 && ≤ 17.011.30079

range

Exploits & PoCs

Research use only. For defensive security, authorized penetration testing, and academic research only. Never execute exploit code against systems without explicit written authorization.

Adobe Acrobat and Reader versions 2018.011.20038 and earlier, 2017.011.3…

helpx.adobe.comGoogle-sheetMay 2018

Adobe Acrobat and Reader versions 2018.011.20038 and earlier, 2017.011.3…

cloudblogs.microsoft.comAwesomePocJun 2020

Adobe Acrobat and Reader versions 2018.011.20038 and earlier, 2017.011.3…

cisa.govCISAJun 2022

Detection & mitigation playbook

Vendor / appliance

Detect
Inventory every adobe acrobat dc deployment and check each version against the affected-products list above. Because the exploit targets the running system rather than your application code, also watch for remote code execution at the network and runtime layer — O3 flags the exploit behaviour from runtime telemetry and egress traffic even before a vulnerable build is confirmed.
Remediation status
No patch has shipped for CVE-2018-4990 yet — track the adobe acrobat dc advisory for a fixed release and apply the workarounds below in the meantime.
Mitigate without a patch
Cut exposure now: restrict the management/admin interface to trusted networks, segment the device, and apply the vendor's recommended configuration mitigations and any WAF/IPS signature. O3's runtime protection blocks the exploit chain at execution, holding the line on unpatched or end-of-life systems until you can patch.
How O3 protects you
O3 detects and blocks CVE-2018-4990 exploitation at runtime: eBPF exploit-chain detection, plus L7 egress monitoring that catches the post-exploitation callback and severs the attacker's outbound channel.

Tailored to CVE-2018-4990. Runtime protection reduces exposure until a permanent patch is applied and verified — it complements patching, it doesn't replace it.

Frequently Asked Questions

O3 Security · Runtime Protection

Is CVE-2018-4990 being exploited in your environment?

O3's eBPF runtime sensors and L7 egress monitoring detect and block the CVE-2018-4990 exploit chain at execution — protecting unpatched and end-of-life systems until the vendor patch is applied.

Protect my workloads How runtime protection works

CVE-2018-4990

EPSS Exploitation Probability

Description

Affected Products

Detection & mitigation playbook

Detect

Remediation status

Mitigate without a patch

How O3 protects you

Frequently Asked Questions

Is CVE-2018-4990 being exploited in your environment?